New York Film Academy (NYFA) welcomed The Founder of Emmanuel Bates Communications MEREDITH EMMANUEL as part of The 20/20 Series, created by NYFA’s Creative Director of Filmmaking and Cinematography, Liz Hinlein. The conversation was moderated by Hinlein and was held virtually, allowing individuals to join NYFA and the special guests from all over the world.

The 20/20 Series, created by Hinlein, is a virtual pop-up event that takes us into the homes, hubs, and workspaces of an array of dynamic creative visionaries to allow for relaxed, engaging conversations on craft, creation, and artistic vision.

Meredith Emmanuel is the founder of Emmanuel Bates Communications. Since 1997, EBComs has had a vision of providing strategic and cost-effective public relations services to filmmakers who have been underrepresented in the entertainment industry.

Emmanuel has more than 40 years of experience in film, television, radio, music, and media; and has built an impressive network of valuable relationships. Focusing on behind-the-camera public relations, she has successfully executed numerous client award campaigns for the Academy Awards, Creative Arts Emmys, and guild-specific awards. In addition, she has helped grow the careers of creative artists’ by highlighting their achievements on film and television projects and expanding their individual networks.

In 2019, she produced her first feature-length documentary, One More Orbit, about a Guinness and FAI World Record-breaking mission to beat the round-the-world record for any aircraft flying over the North and South poles.

She has worked in Europe, Australia, Asia, and the United States, with notable companies and clients including DDA Talent, Untitled Inc, Netflix, The Wal.

“I consider myself a public relations consultant,” shared Emmanuel in her conversation with Hinlein. “A PR consultant looks at a client’s public spheres. As anyone has, you have varying circles of people around you, so each and every one of us has “publics” that we interrelate with. For someone in the public eye, those audiences become more important so the relationship you have with your public is the first thing we look at with clients.”

She encouraged creatives to remember that your public-facing self must always be authentic. “If your work is qualifying at the Oscars or film festivals, your work is very good and your work should speak for itself first. If you are asked a question by anyone who could potentially help to advance your career, be yourself. Know your work and be willing to talk about the inspiration, process, and techniques you used. Let your humanity shine through.”

New York Film Academy would like to thank Meredith Emmanuel for joining the NYFA global community to discuss managing their public images for The 20/20 Series, created by and moderated by Liz Hinlein.

These guests are not faculty and do not teach at NYFA, but they have appeared to share their stories and experience with our students. As guest speakers are scheduled based on their availability, NYFA cannot guarantee whether a guest speaker will visit during a student’s attendance or who that guest speaker may be. This guest speaker forum is not part of any NYFA curriculum and attendance at guest speaker events is purely voluntary. Students should be aware that guest speaker events do not represent a job opportunity nor are they intended to provide industry connections.

New York Film Academy (NYFA) had the honor of hosting a live video Q&A with producer Hilary Shor to discuss her work as an executive producer on the Oscar-nominated film THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY with NYFA students and alumni. Tova Laiter, Director of the NYFA Q&A-List Series, curated and moderated the event.

Hilary Shor is a producer who has worked on multiple critically acclaimed films including Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men. Shor has had a longstanding relationship with Oscar & Emmy nominated director Lee Daniels (Precious, Empire), and has worked with him as producer/executive producer on The United States vs. Billie Holiday, The Butler with Oprah Winfrey, Forrest Whitaker, Lenny Kravitz, and The Paperboy starring Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron. She has also served as an executive producer on Eye of The Beholder, starring Ewan McGregor and Ashley Judd.

Laiter kicked off the conversation with Shor by asking her to share more about how she came to be in the business. Shor, who is now a seasoned producer and has worked with the biggest names in Hollywood, got her start as a secretary. “What I lacked in experience I had in social intelligence and empathy. Those two things really sent me on my way, and I certainly screwed up along the way, but I was just kind of finding my way through the reality of the business back then.”

One of Shor’s first big productions, Children of Men, came to be after Shor optioned the book and held on for nine years. It was a testament to her ability to see a story worthy of being made and betting on the talent. It paid off when the-now-Academy Award-winning director Alfonso Cuarón directed the film and went on to be nominated for three Academy Awards.

Shor has also had a longstanding relationship with her frequent collaborator and friend of 30 years Lee Daniels. “Back when we were both agents, [Daniels] would always try to sign my clients behind my back,” joked Shor. Eventually, Shor and Daniels began working together on his films, noting their shared love of humor on set, for Daniels’ films The Butler, The Paperboy, and now The United States vs. Billie Holiday.

“It’s the first music-driven film I have worked on and it was really wonderful to see the period come alive,” Shor shared about working on The United States vs. Billie Holiday. “There’s such a richness. It was really wonderful to gather this extraordinary cast including the incredible Andry Day, who is nominated for Best Actress at this year’s Oscars.”

“My role as a producer is to protect the (political) environment [on set] so the talent can concentrate on their work. Talent instinctually knows who is a safe resource. I love them [the actors] and I really see them. I Understand how difficult is what they do. You have to be egoless as a producer. They understand that to protect them it means that ultimately you protect the movie.”

Closing the conversation, Shor reminded the students: “Get your ego out of the way and remember you there to serve the movie.”

New York Film Academy would like to thank Hilary Shor for sharing her time and invaluable knowledge of the producing world with NYFA students and alumni and showing students that, no matter how high you climb in the business, taking your ego out of the equation will always get you farther.

To watch the full conversation, click here or watch below:

These guests are not faculty and do not teach at NYFA, but they have appeared to share their stories and experience with our students. As guest speakers are scheduled based on their availability, NYFA cannot guarantee whether a guest speaker will visit during a student’s attendance or who that guest speaker may be. This guest speaker forum is not part of any NYFA curriculum and attendance at guest speaker events is purely voluntary. Students should be aware that guest speaker events do not represent a job opportunity nor are they intended to provide industry connections.

New York Film Academy (NYFA) is excited to announce that What Lies Below from NYFA instructor Braden Duemmler is now available to stream on Netflix.

Duemmler, who wrote and directed the film, is a filmmaking instructor at NYFA’s Los Angeles campus. What Lies Below is a horror-thriller film that tells the story of a teenage girl who comes back home from camp, only to realize that her mother’s attractive new boyfriend is too good to be true.

The film stars Ema Horvath (who was recently cast in the upcoming Lord of The Rings series for Amazon Prime), NYFA guest speaker Mena Suvari (American Beauty, American Pie), and Trey Tucker (who was recently cast in the upcoming show Heels on Starz).

For Duemmler, What Lies Below was a labor of love, and seeing all of the work that went into writing the film as well as seeing it cast and begin shooting was an incredible moment for the director. “It was wonderful and terrifying at the same time. I still remember the first table read with Ema, Trey, and Mena going through the lines. I had tears in my eyes at the end because I just couldn’t believe I was sitting there, with these incredibly gifted actors, listening and watching them bring the story to life!”

“As we were making the film, it was a battle. Every day had its trials and triumphs and you just had to stay focused on the scene, the shot, the moment, every step of the way,” shared Duemmler. “Every time we wrapped a day, and I knew in my head we got what we needed, I felt the same as I did at that table read: this is happening, this is working, this is awesome!”

Now, all that hard work is paying off. With the film’s initial release at the end of 2020, What Lies Below received multiple rave reviews including Leo Brady from AMovieGuy.com who called Duemmler’s film “an unexpected little horror hit.”

What Lies Below has now been picked up and released by streaming giant Netflix, which has been the launching point for many directors and multiple genres of content for the past decade.

“It’s very exciting. We’re being released the same week as a film starring Idris Elba! It makes me appreciate the platform [Netflix] and its unique ability to bring films from all genres, budgets, and styles to one place.”

According to the filmmaking instructor, audiences will be able to enjoy the “intensity of the story” and the mystery that is riddled throughout the film. But most of all, he hopes audiences will argue over the ending. “It is a very polarizing finale and I’ve already seen some great fan theories on the internet. All I’ll say is the ending is not open-ended; it is very definitive and all the answers to the mystery are layered into those final two shots. I hope people enjoy picking it all apart and trying to figure it out!”

For anyone out there looking to make their own film, Duemmler says it’s time to stop asking for permission. “You don’t need the studios, or Sundance, or a big-time producer. All you need is a great script and a little start-up capital that will allow you to attach a cast that is recognizable enough to get you your full budget! The cast is EVERYTHING and they care about great scripts!”

New York Film Academy congratulates filmmaking instructor Braden Duemmler on the release of his first feature film What Lies Below, which is now available to stream on Netflix. Once audiences finish arguing over the ending of What Lies Below, it won’t be long before Duemmler releases his next film Mold, which will begin casting this summer.

New York Film Academy (NYFA) was excited to welcome brand advisor DIONNA CHAMBERS as part of The 20/20 Series, created by NYFA’s Creative Director of Filmmaking and Cinematography, Liz Hinlein. The conversation was moderated by Hinlein and was held virtually, allowing individuals to join NYFA and the special guests from all over the world.

The 20/20 Series, created by Hinlein, is a virtual pop-up event that takes us into the homes, hubs, and workspaces of an array of dynamic creative visionaries to allow for relaxed, engaging conversations on craft, creation, and artistic vision.

Dionna Chambers has taken her passion, love, and human connection into coaching creatives on how to really understand their brand and use it as a tool on Instagram and Social Media alike to attract more gigs.

“I like to connect with the things I do because that’s who I am. I am not interested in making money just to make it. I want to care about the people I work with, the brands I represent, and the impact I am making as a result,” she shared. “Marketing and branding are blanket statements. I like to think of marketing as the human connection made real. When we connect with brands, we connect with ourselves first and then with each other. I am about that. ”

Chambers takes the approach that whether you are a company with a brand like Pepsi or a person that has something to sell, the concept branding remains the same. “[As a person] you are selling everything – your personality, your craft, and your ability to work on set. That is why there needs to be a shift from thinking I just need to be hired to I am what you need.”

For performers and creatives alike, Chambers also emphasized that crafting your social presence is a balancing act between authenticity and professionalism.“Because it [yourself or your work] is a brand, there is some tailoring and curation for what you are putting out there.”

Chambers also encouraged the global audience that if they are looking to break into a specific market, to tailor their content to that market, including interacting with pages and accounts that are based in that specific market to continue to build a brand and a network.

New York Film Academy would like to thank Dionna Chambers for joining the NYFA global community to discuss personal branding for creatives on the The 20/20 Series, created by and moderated by Liz Hinlein.

These guests are not faculty and do not teach at NYFA, but they have appeared to share their stories and experience with our students. As guest speakers are scheduled based on their availability, NYFA cannot guarantee whether a guest speaker will visit during a student’s attendance or who that guest speaker may be. This guest speaker forum is not part of any NYFA curriculum and attendance at guest speaker events is purely voluntary. Students should be aware that guest speaker events do not represent a job opportunity nor are they intended to provide industry connections.